Frequently Asked Questions ODYSSEY™ TABLET COMPUTER Q) What is the size of the tablet screen? A) 7 inches (diagonal from corner to corner) Q) What is the resolution of the tablet screen? A) 1024 X 600 (WSVGA resolution) which is equal to about 170 pixels per inch and is capable of showing video in HD. Most 7” tablets come with a lower screen resolution like 640 X 480. Q) Does the tablet have a touchscreen? A) The tablet is capable of accepting five simultaneous touchpoints on the screen to permit finger‐based screen gestures such as swipe, pinch and zoom. Q) What is the battery life of the tablet between recharges? A) The tablet has a 4500 milli‐amp‐hour (mAh) Lithium‐ion battery ‐ one of the largest in a 7‐inch tablet in the world. It can run for 7 hours continuously streaming live video with maximum screen brightness and maximum audio volume, or 8 hours of file downloads, or 10 hours of continuous use for reading e‐ Books stored on the tablet. Q) How does the tablet get recharged? A) Either using the included AC adapter for an electrical outlet or via the Yazmi Solar‐Powered Charging Station, available as an accessory. It is intended that students would take their tablets home at night for homework and recharging. Q) What is the operating system of the tablet? A) Android 4.2 Jelly Bean ‐ the most popular version of Android running worldwide. Q) Can the tablet access the Internet? A) The student tablet has WiFi access capability, and could access the Internet through a home or school WiFi network or on a public network. The student tablet does not have cellular data network capability (no SIM card port). The teacher tablet comes standard with 2G cellular data network capability (cellular data fees would apply). The classroom server has the option of incorporating a 2G or 3G SIM card for M2M data transmission of assessment data to central data servers of the government education ministry or school operator. Page 1 of 18 Q) Does the tablet come with a keyboard? How do students input data into the tablet? A) The tablet operating software includes a keyboard that pops up on the screen when the software determines it is needed. The keyboard includes letters, numbers, math signs and common symbols. The students can use the on‐screen keyboard or touch‐sensitive applications as enabled in the software apps. Yazmi also offers a low‐cost protective leatherette case with an integrated physical keyboard and tablet stand as an optional accessory. The keyboard connects into the tablet via a small connector and can be used to more easily write essays, take notes, input detailed math equations, or undertake computer coding. We believe the use of the physical keyboard can also teach students extra skills that could be useful for the student in the long run. Q) What is the tablet warranty? A) The tablet comes with a standard 12‐month warranty against manufacturer defects. Extended warranties are available at extra cost. Q) Who makes the tablet? A) We have contract manufacturers in Asia that assemble the tablets and antenna for Yazmi. Our primary tablet supplier is based in China, while our primary antenna supplier is based in Taiwan. More details are available upon request. Q) What is your production capacity for the tablet? A) Our current suppliers can provide up to 300,000 tablets per month for us. We have the ability to add production capacity as required. Q) How many tablets have been sold to date? A) Yazmi is using this conference to launch our service. Our tablet is now in production. We have deployed tablets to multiple countries for pilots and trials. Q) What software comes with the tablet? A) The Odyssey 700 tablet comes pre‐loaded with proprietary Yazmi software to manage setup and reception of the satellite service, live streams of video, a student schedule of live streams and applicable file download sessions, and a curricular content repository. The tablet also comes with standard Google Android software. Yazmi has a variety of additional open‐ source educational content and apps available at no extra cost. Yazmi would also pre‐load any digital educational content provided by the government customer as directed. If the government customer needs assistance in creating digital content, Yazmi can serve as the prime contractor for such activities on a for‐fee basis. Page 2 of 18 Q) What happens if a tablet breaks? A) Yazmi or an identified partner in the local country can enter into a field service and repair contract with the government customer. We seek to minimize breakage by offering very important accessories including a tablet case and a customized padded carry bag that reduce the risk of users breaking a tablet due to falls. Yazmi can obtain replacement part inventory for main tablet components including shells, screens, batteries and port connectors, which the field repair provider would access and use to initiate repairs on the products. This can happen in the local region or at a centralized depot, depending on what the government customer wants. Some tablets are going to be lost or broken beyond repair over time by the users. The government would then purchase replacement tablets from Yazmi. The classroom server is very important because it serves as the backup for the student's tablet contents in the event that a tablet is lost, stolen or damaged. Q) Can students do Facebook, Twitter, SMS or instant messaging with the tablet? A) The tablets are WiFi‐enabled so the students could use them in a location where there is public internet access (or at home or school if there is an Internet‐connected WiFi network available), but otherwise the tablets do not have conventional Internet connectivity. We want to provide a solution for learning rather than potential distractions. Q) How large is the memory in the tablet? A) The Odyssey comes standard with 1 gigabyte (1GB) of DDR3 RAM. The Odyssey also comes with 8 gigabytes of solid‐state flash memory. This is much larger than what is typically offered with 7‐inch educational tablets and allows for much more data and software to be downloaded to the tablets for later use. More flash memory can be added for an extra cost. There is also a microSD port that can utilize up to a 32 gigabyte microSD card for further onboard data storage. The microSD card is available from Yazmi for an extra cost. Q) How long are the tablets expected to last? A) Yazmi anticipates a service life of at least three years on average, including tablets that have components repaired. The tablets can be used until they are lost or irreparable. There is no pre‐ programmed date on which the tablets would stop working. It is typical that one‐to‐one laptop or tablet initiatives have regular upgrade/replacement cycles of every 3‐4 years. Page 3 of 18 Q) What is the typical breakage rate of the tablets? A) Yazmi is targeting that 10% of tablets in the field be broken, lost or stolen each year and need a full replacement. This is well below the replacement rates of other tablet or laptop programs, and is based on an expectation that the customer would purchase the cost‐efficient tablet case and carry bag to minimize unnecessary breakage and loss. The government customer can purchase replacement tablets from Yazmi. The classroom server would automatically replace the student's contents from the lost or broken tablet onto the new tablet. Q) Does the tablet have a camera? A) The Odyssey 700 comes standard with a VGA‐resolution (0.3 megapixel) rear‐facing camera that can be used for capturing video or still photos. It is intended for use in science and social studies. Q) Does the tablet have an internal accelerometer or G‐sensor? A) No. Q) Does the tablet have Bluetooth wireless connectivity? A) No. Q) Does the tablet have a USB port? A) No. The Odyssey 700 comes standard with a MicroUSB port. Q) Does the tablet come with a user manual? A) The Odyssey 700 comes with a printed quick start guide that explains the primary functions of the tablet. A highly detailed user manual is pre‐loaded on every tablet in electronic form (as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file). Q) Does the tablet come with a speaker or earphones? A) The Odyssey 700 is most likely to be used in group situations, either in the classroom or in a common area at home. We have provided a small external speaker but it is intended that the user use the included soft tapered earphones for audio use. Q) What is the recharge time of the tablet? A) A deep recharge (from 20% to 100%) takes 3‐4 hours, depending on whether the user plugs into an AC outlet or uses the Yazmi Solar‐Powered Charging Station. Battery life will be maximized if the user recharges once the battery reaches 50% than letting go down to 4‐5% when the tablet automatically shuts off. Page 4 of 18 SATELLITE SERVICE Q) How does Yazmi send information to its tablets? A) Yazmi owns 2 geostationary satellites, one positioned over Africa and one positioned over Asia. Government customers receive access to the closest Yazmi satellite and send files or live streams via the Internet to our uplink stations. The uplink station sends the data to the satellite and the satellite broadcasts the data on a specified channel. The tablet has an integrated receiver module and is set up by the customer to be able to only access that government's downloads and for other criteria such as grade, location, language of instruction. The satellite broadcasts data files but only those receivers permitted to receive a specific file can receive it. Like radio or TV, a theoretically unlimited number of Yazmi tablets can receive data from the satellite and each tablet downloads at the maximum possible speed, regardless of the number of simultaneous tablets receiving the data. Q) Are the satellite data streams encrypted? A) Yes. The tablet automatically decrypts the incoming data. Q) What can you send to the tablets over the satellite? A) The Yazmi satellites are data broadcasting satellites, and so can deliver any type of file including software programs and updates, digital library books, live video or audio lectures or speeches, cached websites, educational apps, e‐textbooks and workbooks, music files and pre‐taped video files. Q) Can a tablet send data to the government or to other tablets over the satellite? A) No. The Yazmi service is designed to send data from the customer to the end users. There is not currently a "return path" via the satellite. This is the most efficient way to distribute identical data to a large number of users and ensures the students get the content they need. Q) How many tablets can the satellites serve at once? A) Each Yazmi satellite has 3 beams centered on different regions and together cover a wide area. The AfriStar satellite covers all of Africa as well as southern Europe, central Asia, the Persian Gulf and as far as South Asia. Each regional beam can provide up to 24 channels of 128 kbps transmission speed. We are working on a hardware upgrade to allow for channels to be combined to achieve 256 kbps data speed or higher. A customer purchasing at least 50,000 tablets would be allocated one 128kbps channel for its exclusive use. That channel can serve 50,000 tablets, or it could serve 50 million tablets without impacting download speed. Q) Do you have the right to send data into my country? Don't you need a license for that? A) We have broadcasting rights on our satellite frequencies (1467 MHz to 1492 MHz, which is in the L‐ band) into more than 120 countries, including every country in Africa. Page 5 of 18 Q) How long are the satellites going to be operational? A) The satellites were launched around 2000. They are expected to have at least 6 more years of active service life and likely much more. The key components all have backups onboard, and none of those components have been switched to the backup one yet. Q) Are you planning to launch replacement satellites? A) Yazmi has already begun the initial stages of procurement for next‐generation satellites. The core technology would be the same, although we would likely be able to achieve higher data speeds. The tablets deployed in the field would be compatible with the new satellites. The larger the orders we achieve now, the sooner we can get in the queue to purchase and launch the next‐generation satellites. Q) What happens if the satellite stops working? A) Yazmi partners with Intelsat, the world's largest operator of commercial satellites, to manage the satellites in space. We would work with Intelsat to try and rectify any problem quickly. If the satellite were to fail completely, then users in Africa that also are covered by the AsiaStar satellite could be switched to that satellite ‐ for the users they would just need to point the antenna in a different direction. Yazmi can work with a potential customer to deploy alternative satellite or terrestrial solutions for redundancy purposes as well. Q) What if a student misses a scheduled download? A) The classroom server also has a Yazmi satellite receiver and is designed to be a backup for all scheduled downloads for all tablets in the class. If a student misses a download, then the automatic syncing function of the server will deliver the missing file to the student. Q) What is the cost of sending data via the satellite (Are there monthly data fees for using the satellite)? A) A one‐time service fee is bundled into the purchase price of the tablet. In return, the tablet receives unlimited downloads for so long as it is in service. The cost works out to being equal to about one US dollar per month for an expected tablet service life of three years, or 75 cents if in service for four years, or 60 cents if in service for five years. A single 128kbps satellite channel can transmit about 40GB per month. This means that the cost per GB of transmission is effectively as low as 2.5 cents per tablet. A 2G or 3G data plan would likely cost hundreds of times more each month per tablet and not likely offer nearly as much data capacity. Page 6 of 18 Q) How hard is it to set up the antenna? A) The antenna is smaller than a paperback novel and has an integrated swivel stand. The user places or affixes the antenna in a window, on a pole or roof, or other convenient place that has line‐of‐sight with the satellite. The satellite signal is usually obtained within a few minutes by a novice if the antenna is placed generally in the right direction. The tablet comes with an app that tells the user the right direction and height in the sky to point the antenna, as well as a function that shows how powerful of a signal the antenna is obtaining. The receiver can obtain maximum data download rates so long as the antenna has a clear path to the sky and is generally pointed in the right direction. Q) What if the antenna cannot get a good signal? A) The tablet requires a minimum signal level to download data. The user would need to find another place to position the antenna or download the required files later from the classroom server. The tablet is designed for downloads at home and school to maximize their utility, so it would be important for the student's family to assist the user in finding a good location for the antenna. Q) What is JITCOVY? A) JITCOVY is an innovative offering by Yazmi and is an acronym for Just‐in‐Time Coaching via Yazmi. JITCOVY is offered by the education administrator as a live session via Yazmi satellite. It could be used for teachers or students. For teachers JITCOVY is proposed as a way of providing “tips” for handling the current lesson in the class. For students JITCOVY could be used to provide a quick revision of a subject the day prior to the exam. Q) What is the Content Management System (CMS)? A) CMS is offered by Yazmi for content originators to distribute the content. Yazmi supports both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (offline) content delivery. In either case the CMS allows specifying the groups to which the delivery is required, the time of delivery and the location of the data (in case of a file transfer). Yazmi uses a well‐proven software module created by an European company for this purpose. Q) How is a live session via the satellite conducted? For synchronous delivery, the content provider (namely, the Instructor) needs a computer with a good quality internet connection (at least 256 kbps link). For a multimedia delivery, this computer should have audio and video capture devices connected to it. This computer needs to have Yazmi’s special software called “ Satellite School Teacher”. While setting up this software, details of the audio and video capture devices must be chosen. At the chosen start time of the live session, the instructor hits the “Start” button. This commences a live stream of data from the instructor’s computer delivered to a specified port and IP address of the Yazmi uplink station. Page 7 of 18 CLASSROOM SERVER Q) What is the classroom server? A) The Yazmi Classroom Server is a small computer with Yazmi‐satellite connectivity, a large hard drive, customized software, and a strong WiFi network adapter. It is most basically intended to manage the student tablets within a classroom setting. The tablet antennas require line‐of‐sight with the Yazmi satellite, and having 40 or 50 children all deploy their antennas to get downloads or live lectures while in class is not feasible. So the Classroom Server can receive data from the Yazmi satellite during class hours and use the WiFi network to stream it to the student tablets. The Classroom Server also serves as a content library and a backup/sync tool for the tablets. The Classroom Server automatically connects with the tablets in the classroom in the background (allowing the tablet to be used for other activities at the same time) to make sure the tablet has all its required content and also to save copies of any student‐generated work. If students want or need to access supplementary materials such as digital library books or videos, they can access the Classroom Server via their tablet in the classroom and download those items. The Classroom Server also assists the teacher. It provides tools to lock down student tablets upon request from the teacher tablet during tests or if the teacher is reciting a lesson. For assessment, the Classroom Server automatically pulls tablet‐based tests from the student tablet for either auto‐marking or review by the teacher. Test results are also aggregated and provided to the teacher and administrators to keep track of progress. The internal 2G cellular SIM can be used to send aggregated results data (number of lessons delivered by subject, attendance, test results) from the school to regional or national education officials as well. Q) How big is the Classroom Server? A) It is currently 14 cm deep, 20 cm long and 4 cm thick, and weighs about 1.5 kg. Yazmi is developing more compact versions as well. Q) Does the Classroom Server require an electrical outlet in the classroom? A) The standard configuration uses an AC outlet. It draws about 20 watts. A version of the Solar‐ Powered Charging Station can be provided for multi‐hour battery backup in event of power outages. Page 8 of 18 Q) Does the Classroom Server have Internet access? A) Not typically. The Classroom Server has Yazmi satellite access, and has a 2G SIM port for sending assessment data, but would require access via WiFi or wired Ethernet into an Internet‐enabled network to be able to provide Internet access. However, a customer can send cached (stored) copies of approved websites to the Classroom Server and tablets for "surfing" of those websites even without Internet access. Q) How many tablets can one Classroom Server manage? A) The Classroom Server should be able to handle up to 100 tablets in a single classroom. The number of tablets served is more a function of distance that the wireless network can travel than the number of tablets it can manage. Classrooms that are serving multiple grades and/or multiple subjects can also use the Classroom Server, but may require a larger hard drive. Q) What is the standard configuration of the Classroom Server? A) Intel Celeron dual‐core central processor and Intel graphics processor, 2GB RAM expandable to 4GB, 1 terabyte (TB) hard disk, 10/100/1000Meg Ethernet controller, 150M WiFi‐n adapter with broadcast capability, VGA and HDMI video ports, and multiple USB ports. It also comes with a small LED computer monitor and mouse. It runs very cool and is fanless, which means it is very quiet. Q) Do I need to buy a Classroom Server for each classroom in a school? A) It is recommended that each classroom that provides instruction to tablet‐enabled students have a Classroom Server installed. Q) What happens if I don't buy the Classroom Server? A) The tablets will still operate but they will likely need to undertake all downloads at home or elsewhere outside school hours. The teacher will not be able to control the student tablets in the classroom. A limited amount of assessment functionality can be added to the teacher tablet. There will be no ability to update student tablets that have missed download sessions or to backup students' work if tablets are broken, lost or stolen. We consider the Classroom Server to be highly important, provided that there is sufficient electrical power available in the classroom. Q) Where is the Classroom Server manufactured? A) The computer, monitor and mouse are typically manufactured in China. SOLAR‐POWERED CHARGING STATION Q) What is the solar‐powered charging station? A) The Yazmi solar‐powered charging station is a compact and rugged power storage unit with a large lithium‐ion battery and a 5‐watt solar panel. The charging station is designed to be an always‐ready source of power to recharge the tablet battery as needed. Page 9 of 18 Q) How much power is stored in the charging station? A) Maximum of 8800 milli‐amp‐hours. Q) How does the charging station work? A) The solar panel is set outside or in a window during the day and collects sunlight. The solar panel converts sunlight to electricity and feeds that power to the lithium‐ion battery in the charging station. When the Odyssey 700 tablet requires recharging, it is connected to the charging station battery and begins to recharge. Q) How many recharges of the tablet can the charging station battery provide? A) The charging station battery can provide approximately 3 deep recharges of the tablet battery before it would require recharge. As with the tablet battery, the charging station battery life will be extended if it is recharged before reaching very low levels. Q) Can the charging station power or recharge other items? A) Yes ‐ it can be used to recharge other items besides the tablet, such as phones, but Yazmi does not take any responsibility for any item being recharged other than approved Yazmi products. The charging station also comes standard with an LED light for limited periods of use as a light/flashlight. Q) Can the charging station battery be charged from an electrical outlet rather than the solar panel? A) An optional upgrade (extra cost) is available to add an AC plug adapter to charge the charging station battery. Q) How long does it take for the charging station battery to be recharged by the solar panel? A) 9‐13 hours for full recharge depending on power being generated by solar panel (depends on time of day, cloud cover, shadows from trees or other objects, dirt or dust buildup on panel, time of year, location, etc). Q) How long does it take for the charging station to recharge the tablet? A) Recharge from 20% to 100% would take about 4 hours. Q) Why can't I just buy the solar panel and directly charge the tablet? A) The charging station battery serves to ensure that power can be available for recharge when the student needs it (before/after school ‐ when the sun is at its weakest). In areas with a lot of cloud cover or rainfall, there may be a few days between periods where there is enough sun to run the solar panel, and the charging station battery can provide several days of power for the tablet. Page 10 of 18 Q) What is the recommended mix of tablets to charging stations in a region that has a moderate amount of electrification at home and school? A) Yazmi recommends that one charging station be distributed to each teacher and student who receives a tablet. Even if a home has electrical power, there are often long periods of intermittent power or outright blackouts, and that can cause problems for trying to recharge the tablet using the electrical mains. Q) Where is the solar charging station manufactured? A) The unit is assembled in Singapore from components manufactured in China and other locations. We can provide more details upon request. TABLET CASE Q) What is the tablet case that you offer? A) Yazmi recommends that customers purchase the Yazmi protective tablet case with integrated keyboard and tablet stand. It is made from durable polyurethane with customized restraints for the tablet as well as magnetic clasp. It is designed to reduce the risk of breakage of the tablet if it is dropped accidently from a desk or hand. It also covers the screen when the tablet is not in use to reduce the risk of scratches. The integrated stand allows the tablet to rest at an angle to the user rather than flat on the desk, which improves posture and can reduce screen glare. The integrated keyboard is a full QWERTY‐style keyboard that connects to the tablet via the MicroUSB port. It can allow for touch typing rather than using the standard drop‐down onscreen keyboard. This is useful for more extensive note taking, essay writing, math problems or even computer coding. It can promote basic keyboard typing skills that can help with applying for jobs after graduation. Q) What is the protection rating of the case? A) The case does not have a formal protection rating. It completely encloses the tablet and the edges can help cushion the impact of a fall or drop. The case is not meant to protect against intentional damage. Q) What language is the keyboard? A) The standard keyboard uses English letters. Other languages are available upon request, although an extra cost may be charged depending on availability and customization needs. Q) Where is the tablet case manufactured? A) China. Page 11 of 18 Q) Do I void the tablet warranty if the case is not also purchased? A) No the tablet warranty would remain in force. However, the tablet warranty only covers manufacturing defects, not damage (either intentional or unintentional) done by users. BACKPACK Q) What is the backpack? A) Yazmi offers customized student and teacher backpacks designed to carry the tablet, antenna, and other materials between home and school each day. The lined interior pockets are custom‐fit to the antenna and tablet dimensions. It importantly also offers the customer a way to continually remind the local community that it is investing in the education of the local children. Custom colors and messaging are available for the backpack that can be a great tool for marketing for the customer. Q) How can it be carried? A) The backpack comes standard with two padded shoulder straps as well as a grab handle. Q) What materials are used in the backpack? A) The standard backpack is made from rugged, weather‐resistant polyester, with padding in the shoulder straps, bottom, and front. The zippers also have a weather hood to minimize water entry during heavy rains. It is not meant to be waterproof but is highly weather‐resistant. Q) Why would I need to buy backpacks? A) The tablet and antenna are relatively lightweight, but carrying them for any distance would eventually be cumbersome without some sort of bag. The combination of tablet case and backpack provides a strong level of protection against unintentional damage or loss, which in turn can significantly reduce the total cost of necessary repairs or replacements. The backpack is an inexpensive way to protect the tablet and antenna during the commute or when the tablet is not in use. It also provides a great marketing tool for the customer. Q) Where is the tablet made? A) The tablet is currently made in China but Yazmi and the manufacturer are willing to explore local production if sufficient order quantities are purchased. Page 12 of 18 SERVICES Q) What services are required from Yazmi in order to undertake and maintain a tablet program? A) No services are required. Customers receive access via a secure Internet portal to a Yazmi channel to transmit their content to their end users. If the customer signs a master purchase agreement for at least 50,000 tablets, then Yazmi will provide a dedicated 128 kbps channel for that customer. However, the customer will then be responsible for distribution of the tablets, setup of databases for tablet user groups, tablet and other product maintenance, customer tech support, and field repairs. Q) Who distributes the tablets to the local schools? A) The customer is responsible for deployment of the tablets to the schools and to the appropriate end users. If outsourced distribution is required, then Yazmi can assist the customer to find an experienced distribution company, but Yazmi will not be responsible for inefficiencies or losses in the supply chain once customer acceptance occurs at the Port of Destination. Q) How does Yazmi offer customer tech support? A) Yazmi's core tech support is self‐contained, including a detailed user manual embedded in each tablet, apps for determining satellite location and how to point the antenna to get the best signal, and troubleshooting FAQs within the tablet and on the website. Yazmi plans to launch a user Internet portal as well, which will allow users, teachers and/or administrators to discuss technical items with other users as well as with Yazmi corporate moderators. Additional tech support would be provided on a cost‐plus basis, and would include customer support via phone, SMS, online live chat, email, or postal mail from a contact center most likely located in the general region. Q) Do I need to purchase cellular data plans for the tablet? If so, who provides that service? A) Student tablets are not equipped for cellular SIMs. Teacher tablets and classroom servers are enabled with 2G cellular SIMs, and are meant for M2M data transfer of assessment results. The cellular service is not mandatory but is required if several of the assessment analytic tools are to be used. Yazmi will partner with a national cellular service provider for provision of 2G SIM cards and for provision of the cellular data plan. The customer would enter into a services contract with the cellular provider. Page 13 of 18 Q) How do I set up the tablets to make sure each student is receiving only the data they need? A) Tablets must be provisioned to permit them to receive data from the customer. A provisioned tablet that was not further segmented into a user group would receive all downloads while the antenna was deployed, regardless of grade, subject, or language of instruction. Likely several times per year the tablet storage would become filled and somebody would need to clean out the unnecessary content. Databases can be set up to place tablets by user or by classroom into user groups that define grade, subject, location, language of instruction, etc., so that the tablet only downloads content that is applicable to the defined user. At the end of each school year, the tablets would be remotely wiped clean of curricular content and updated for the following year. The database management requires a moderate amount of configuration and maintenance, and can be provided by Yazmi on a cost‐plus basis. Q) Does Yazmi do repairs on damaged tablets? A) The Odyssey 700 tablets are designed to be able to have certain important components replaced due to damage or wear, including the battery, screen, shell and antenna connector port. Yazmi can arrange for inventory of these key tablet components (on a cost‐plus basis) if the customer wants to undertake field repairs on its own. If the customer seeks to have Yazmi provide the field repair services, Yazmi would likely partner with an experienced provider of electronics repair services in the customer's region, such as a cellular service provider, electronics retail chain, or electronics product distributor. The customer would likely contract directly with Yazmi's local partner for these services. Q) Can Yazmi set up a studio for the customer for live lecture streaming? A) Yes. The LAMBDAS live video streaming application is designed to be able to capture a lecturer from a computer web cam and computer‐based whiteboard. However, to maximize video and audio quality, Yazmi can configure and deploy a dedicated audio‐video studio for the customer on a cost‐plus basis. Q) What do I do about broken, lost or stolen devices? A) In order to receive and maintain access to the Yazmi satellite, the customer must agree to purchase all replacement devices and accessories directly from Yazmi. Yazmi will provide either the same or newer versions of the broken, lost or stolen devices or accessories at a reasonable price. The customer will be responsible for distribution of the replacement product to the end user. This does not negate the warranty against manufacturer's defects. Q) Will Yazmi provide me with assistance to develop digital content for the tablets? A) Yazmi partners with qualified content developers to provide content development services to customers on a cost‐plus basis. Customers are free to develop their own content or to independently source content from third parties. Page 14 of 18 Q) Will Yazmi train the students, administrators and teachers to use the tablets and satellite service? A) Yazmi will provide training content modules directed at teachers and administrators, and will assist in the training of trainers who would provide the actual training to the teachers and administrators. Yazmi recommends that local community leaders also be included in any initial training program in order to maximize buy‐in at the community level. Yazmi can also partner with an experienced training partner to provide outsourced trainers for training of teachers and administrators. It is intended that the teachers provide the initial training to the students, as the students are likely to require less hands‐on training to familiarize themselves with how to use the tablet and antenna than teachers and administrators. Yazmi recommends an initial 72 hours of training for all teachers and administrators in a school before tablets are deployed to students, but can provide a condensed version to suit budget requirements. PRICING Q) What is the price of the products? A) Pricing depends on whether Yazmi works with a local distributor in the target market or sells direct to the customer via a local subsidiary, joint venture (as in South Africa), or an introductory sales agent. Pricing is also dependent upon the minimum volume contractually ordered, but Yazmi believes the total cost of ownership is significantly less for the Yazmi solution than any competing one‐to‐one tablet and data service available in our coverage area. Q) How much does it cost for the Yazmi satellite transmissions? A) Each tablet sold bundles in unlimited Yazmi downloads for the life of the tablet. COMPANY Q) When was Yazmi founded? A) Yazmi was founded in 2009 and acquired the satellites, transmission rights and ground infrastructure in 2010. Development of the Yazmi educational solution was completed in late 2013. The first tablets entered manufacturing in early 2014. Q) Where are your offices located? A) Yazmi is headquartered in suburban Washington, DC, which is a hub for both educational technology companies and satellite companies. Yazmi also has engineering and satellite operations centers in Australia and India, and a sales joint venture in South Africa. Q) How many employees do you have? A) Approximately 20. Q) What are your revenues? Are you profitable? A) As a private company, Yazmi does not provide details on revenues and earnings. However, Yazmi does have existing customers that directly purchase capacity on our satellites for various applications. Page 15 of 18 Q) Is the Yazmi scheme meant to directly educate the students, bypassing the teachers? A) Our technology would never replace the traditional way of teaching, but only strengthen it with supplementary materials, teacher training and occasional use of live classrooms for students. The main idea is to provide content from the central location, so that the student will have additional references; it doesn’t mean that it will replace the traditional way of teaching/learning but would assist it, specially for emerging and rural regions and the technology is easy and fast to set up and use. Q) What would be the Projected useful life of the AfriStar satellite and how can we have a service beyond that? A) We have already placed AfriStar into an inclined orbit operation with useful life up to at least 2020. Since our beams are wide (+/‐ 40 Degrees) the receive Antenna need not have to be repointed for the inclined orbit operation. As Yazmi is operating in these frequencies from these orbital slots, we get the rights to replace the satellite with the next generation (more powerful and more specific features) well before 2020. Q) Apart from our local content , will you be able to get us content from abroad like Khan Academy? A) We are willing to explore sourcing of third‐party content, both open‐source and paid content. We also work with content partners including Computers 4 Kids in South Africa. Q) Can Yazmi install a dedicated satellite uplink facility for us? If that is the case still we will be dependent on the internet ? A) A dedicated uplink facility can be installed in a country if a customer commits to a sufficient number of tablets, and would be installed on a cost‐reimbursement basis for hardware and installation. The primary AfriStar uplink in Germany can be accessed via Internet. Our system allows uplinking from your own country (if desired by you) OR uplink from any of our uplink stations. In the latter case, the content has to be delivered to our server via internet (VPN, Leased bandwidth etc depending on the load) Q) If we do not have our own uplink within our country, our country will be having extensive satellite transmissions into our country from an uplink outside our country. Is this a security risk? A) The tablets can be configured to only receive approved downloads from the customer. The system is encrypted, and it would be almost impossible to change or interfere with the transmission. The uplink equipment is also quite expensive and requires significant technical expertise to install and operate. The customer could also utilize encryption on the contents between the customer and the uplink station and even deploy a secured tunnel VPN to connect to the uplink station. Yazmi will take the responsibility for secure handling of the contents at our uplink station. The receivers cannot be modified to uplink data to the satellite. Q) Do we need Internet access to receive data? A) No. For receiving content over the Yazmi network, there is no need for Internet access. The Yazmi satellite directly delivers content to the tablets and classroom servers. Page 16 of 18 Q) Will it be correct to say that a few teachers will be selected for training and they in turn will train the others? A) This is an option for limited budgets, but then relies heavily on the ability of the teachers (who are not inherently technology trainers to adults) to train the other teachers in the intensity and duration desired. However, all teachers will be expected to train the students in tablet use. It is well documented that students are able to more quickly get familiar with electronic devices than adults, even if they had no prior exposure to the device. Q) Can people share information via blue tooth or exchange messages like it happens with emails? A) Yazmi is a satellite multicasting service and does not provide a return path from the tablets to the satellite. The student tablets do not come standard with cellular data capability so there is no always‐on ability for SMS or instant messaging or email. However, they could use a public WiFi network to access the Internet and use email or instant messaging. Q) Can there be a live audiovisual communication in the same way as Skype or similar? A) Yes. For example, a single lecture or speech or event with audio and multimedia can be broadcast live to each and every student in the country without any congestion or breakage of links. Q) How many jobs, directly and indirectly (in various phases) are expected to be created and in what areas? A) For the maintenance purposes, for a typical small country or a province of a big country, we expect more than 2,000 technicians to be employed directly. Multilingual customer support, content creation and operation of the back‐end server etc. could create thousands of additional jobs for both software and hardware engineering. Q) What technology drives the creation of Odyssey? A) Yazmi evolved its unique solution for education by combining the great strides in the recent past in terms of miniaturization of satellite terminals and the development in smaller and more powerful computers. Q) What makes Yazmi different from other ICT offers for education? A) The satellite receiver is embedded in the tablet. Yazmi’s coverage is 100% of the country, so it can offer universal delivery of content. The tablet and antenna together are so compact that they are portable and can be used by the student at home, at school or outside. The entire system has been designed first and foremost for use in rural, remote and impoverished regions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Q) How quickly can we start deploying the Yazmi service? A) Tablets can be manufactured and shipped starting within 60 days of a funded contract. The satellites can begin transmissions immediately. All of the products are now in commercial production. Q) Is the system upgradable? A) The tablet firmware and software can be remotely upgraded. Customers looking for upgraded tablets can negotiate with Yazmi to add more memory or internal data storage capacity, to add a 2G or 3G SIM card, to provide an even higher‐resolution screen, Bluetooth and other features ‐ all are available at an extra cost. Yazmi does not recommend using a more powerful processor unit as the Odyssey 700 uses a cutting‐edge dual‐core processor that provides more than sufficient processing power and is designed for ultra‐low power consumption. Page 17 of 18 Q) Can we get a tablet with a larger screen size? A) Customers willing to fund the hardware customization cost or who provide a funded order of sufficient size can obtain an Odyssey tablet in a screen size ranging from 8 to 10 inches. Q) We like the satellite service but we already have deployed tablets or laptops (or have committed to do so). Can you still provide us service? A) Yazmi prefers to deploy solutions that incorporate the Odyssey tablet and classroom server. However, Yazmi has developed a miniature USB‐powered satellite receiver that could be used to receive Yazmi satellite transmissions for use on third‐party tablets, laptops or desktops. Q) Can the system be used for areas other than basic education? A) We believe the Yazmi system is highly valuable for teacher continuing education, adult education (technical and university), and out of school children. Outside of education, Yazmi is in discussions with partners for deployment in health, government and emergency response applications across our coverage area. Q) Can you provide content beyond education? A) Yes ‐ the satellite can deliver any sort of content. We are exploring entertainment, news, weather, sports, and emergency warnings such as tsunami, flood, or cyclones. Version YAZFAQ‐2014A Page 18 of 18
© Copyright 2024 ExpyDoc
